Who Should I Start? Michael Mayer or Luke Musgrave

Thursday, December 11, 10:26 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (ankle) was a full participant in practice on Thursday. This was an upgrade for the backup tight end after he logged a limited practice session on Wednesday. Mayer is working his way back from a two-game absence, and it looks like he should suit up against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, barring any sort of setback. The 24-year-old is one of the better backup tight ends in the NFL, but he still doesn't handle enough volume in his role behind Brock Bowers to justify starting him in fantasy football. To make matters worse, Mayer will likely be catching passes from Kenny Pickett this week with Geno Smith (shoulder, back) not expected to play.

Friday, November 28, 11:31 PM

Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave gained 23 yards on his lone reception in Thursday's 31-24 win over their division-rival Detroit Lions. Musgrave was targeted just once on Thanksgiving and has now recorded exactly one reception in three straight outings. It was thought that the third-year pro would assume Green Bay's TE1 duties after teammate Tucker Kraft (knee) went down for the season with a knee injury. However, that hasn't been the case, as TE John FitzPatrick had out-snapped Musgrave in the previous two games before Week 13's win. Moreover, Jordan Love and the offense have leaned even less on the passing game recently, averaging just 25 pass attempts over the last three contests. Despite a decent amount of playing time, Musgrave can be safely avoided for fantasy purposes until the situation around him shifts.